Volume 5 Chapter 125 – Pursuers in Delki (2)
[Translator – jhei]
[Proofreader – yukitokata]
As if they just saw nothing, they exited the residence, and the noon sun shone on their face.
“Oh, Young Master. What in the world did we just see? Why are they all dead?”
“They died to a magician, at least 8-star. There is evidence of Hellwind being used in there.”
“An 8-star magician? I don’t think such a great person like that would have business with such lowly gangsters, but I guess we saw some grotesque sights as soon as we got here.”
Jin raised Jet to the saddle and shook his head.
“Go find anyone within a ten-minute radius who knows Gaber Marius. I’ll be in front of the water fountain back there. If we can’t find anyone, we’re moving on to the next survivor.”
“Understood.”
When Jin arrived at the fountain and started to ponder about the death of the Nelta Vigilante Group, Jet returned.
“I didn’t even need ten minutes, Young Master. There are three people who saw Gaber return to his home early in the morning while drunk.”
“Then that means Gaber is also dead. Alright, let’s get moving. Who’s the next survivor?”
“In a two-hour distance from here, Weatherway Marius. This fellow is a soldier.”
The two left Nelta feeling a little uncomfortable.
‘No matter how much I think about it, I don’t get it. An 8-star magician doesn’t need to make a mess to deal with those guys.’
Why would someone take the risk to commit a crime with magic and slaughter a bunch of goons?
‘It looked like it ended too quickly to be a massacre out of hate. There was no sight of torture either. It felt like the murderer was in a hurry—dealt with the situation like stepping on a bug and left immediately.’
There was a limitation to the inference due to the lack of evidence, but there was something suspicious that prevented him from assuming that it was merely a coincidence.
Jin thought about it for two hours and continued to ponder until they arrived at the army camp where Weatherway Marius was stationed.
Creaaak.
As soon as the door opened, two crude-looking men welcomed them.
“Haha, nice to meet you, and thank you for your service. We came to meet Weatherway Marius.”
Jet nicely confronted them, but the men sighed with disappointment.
“What’s this? I thought we finally got a customer. Why are you looking for him? Oh, are you the one who got beat up by him last night?”
“Oh, not that. We’re old friends, and we coincidentally came this way, so I thought I might as well see an old friend’s face…”
“Damn, that kid had a friend? Fascinating! Weatherway didn’t leave for work yet. I’ll give you a rough map, so go find him.”
“Thank you, my brothers!”
Jet and Jin received the map and passed through various turns and streets to arrive at Weatherway’s house. Jet knocked on the door.
“Weatherway! Are you in there?”
Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
Neighbors began to complain about the ruckus, but the door didn’t seem to open.
“Well, I’m picking into strangers’ homes all over again.”
Before Jin even asked for it, Jet began to pick the lock.
Click.
The door unlocked.
“Ha.”
“Shit.”
The first thing they saw was a man lying on the ground in a strange pose—Weatherway Marius.
“Young Master. I think this fellow’s dead… Hm, he’s not breathing.”
“An assassination through poisoning. And just like Gaber, it hasn’t been long since he died. Since his skin and blood didn’t change colors from the poison, it’s a well-made poison.”
The corpse’s chest was still emanating warmth. It was evident that the man died only about two to three hours ago.
“Young Master, does that mean…?”
“Someone is killing the Lunar Sacrifice survivors in real time. However, the killer of the Nelta Vigilantes and the murderer of Weatherway are different. The modus operandi this time is too different. Both killers are a duo, at least.”
As they confirmed the second survivor’s death, Jin was certain.
‘The culprits recently found out that the Seven-Colored Peacock is mining information about the Marius name. Worried about their information and history getting leaked, they are “sorting out” the Lunar Sacrifice survivors.’
It could no longer be a coincidence.
Additionally, if there was a likelihood of it only being a coincidence, then fate would be in favor of the culprit.
‘I don’t know if the culprits know about me and Jet searching for the survivors. But if they do know, then they’re trying to strategically put us as a suspect. And if they don’t… then our luck is just garbage.’
No matter how late they start the investigation on the Nelta Vigilante massacre and Weatherway murder, it would begin in the late afternoon at the latest.
And as the common folk saw, the last two people who went to visit the Nelta Vigilante Group were two people. As for the Weatherway case, the soldiers certainly saw Jet and Jin’s face. 𝑖𝘦.𝑐𝘰𝘮
Returning to the army camp and telling them ‘Report to the police, Weatherway is dead’ would be pointless. Even if the soldiers believed them, Jin and Jet would be investigated and interrogated.
In that case, Jin’s position as a provisional flag-bearer would be revoked, and he couldn’t even dream of meeting the other survivors.
Suppressing his anger and stress, Jin gritted his teeth.
‘I may be a provisional flag-bearer breaking some rules, but how dare you toy with me in my own land?’
Currently, the confirmed culprits were a magician with an 8-star rank—at the very least—and an assassin who was good with poisons.
‘Even with just that, the forces trying to get rid of the Lunar Sacrifice survivors are phenomenal. That’s how important the information is to them. There could be more assassins.’
Jin left Weatherway’s home and Jet frantically followed him.
“Young Master, what shall we do? Wouldn’t it be good to return to Tikan? We might be accused of this case as well.”
“Nice thinking, Jet. But we have to see the rest of the survivors. We have to move quickly, before the assassins kill them all.”
* * *
Reaper Scans
* * *
The third survivor.
The fourth survivor, the fifth… until the eighth.
Jin and Jet changed horses three times and used two transfer gates, crazily searching for the remaining survivors until midnight.
But not a single one wasn’t a corpse. Each one was killed an hour or two before their arrival.
But thankfully, there were only two assassins. The victims all died from either a wind-type spell or poison.
Jin was about to go crazy. He felt like the survivor was going to be found dead each time they visited one.
Jet sighed.
“This is the last survivor, Young Master. Dan Marius. What if this fellow is dead as well?”
“Just open the door.”
Dan Marius lived in a remote cabin on the outskirts of a village in East Delki.
The two had stopped knocking since the fourth survivor. They just wished that the survivor would be in one shape when they opened the door.
Click, click—Tick!
The door to the last survivor’s cabin opened.
Fffffft!
And an arrow flew at Jet.
He flinched, failing to react and move away. Jin grabbed it with his bare hand before it could pierce the man’s chest.
“O-Oh my—! How crazy, Young Master! I’m safe thanks to—”
Fttt!
Clang!
Jin deflected the second arrow with his dagger. The man in the cabin’s living room just stood there, eyes wide.
With fear in his voice, he shouted.
“Wh-Who are you?! If you are skillful enough to deflect a crossbow shot from this distance, y-you mustn’t be a normal knight. Why did you barge into my house and—”
“Are you Dan Marius, a Lunar Sacrifice survivor?”
The man’s jaw dropped.
“How do you… No… Are you the Specters of the king’s faction? Or did that person send you?!”
Jin would have hugged the man after confirming that he was Dan Marius. He didn’t think that the last survivor would be alive.
‘And he said “that person”. Was he talking about Taimyun? Or maybe the person that Alu mentioned in his dying breath?’
Whoever it was, he knew it would lead to more clues on who cursed him.
“Dan, there’s no time to explain. You’re in danger. Soon, assassins will come for you, so come out. I’m here to save you.”
“Wh-What do you mean?”
“Gaber, Weatherway, Bert, and the others. Since this morning, assassins have been killing the Lunar Sacrifice survivors. The nine others are all dead. I don’t know if they are the Specters of the king’s faction as you said or Taimyun Marius’s goons, but it wasn’t me.”
“You… You know Miss Taimyun?!”
“It’s a little confusing, but just trust me and follow me. I don’t even need five seconds to kill you, but you’re clearly not dead yet. Do you understand? I will not harm you. I promise.”
For a few seconds, Dan gritted his teeth and fell into thought. Then, he nodded.
“I understand… Please wait here. My daughter is sleeping.”
“Oh my, my friend. Go get her, quick! Do you also have a wife?”
“I do not. I’ll bring my child swiftly!”
Dan frantically brought his sleepy daughter and mounted the horse.
“How long until the eastern transfer gate?”
“We must move for at least three hours.”
“That’s far. I will explain the rest as we go. Giddy up!”
Neeeeigh!
The horses let out a loud neigh and started galloping through the night.
Jin and Jet had hoods over their heads, followed by one rather crude man with his daughter on his back.
As they paved through the pathways and into the forest, Dan opened his mouth.
“Did the others really die?”
“Yes. I don’t think it’s the Specters of the king’s faction getting rid of them, but assassins sent over by the other person that you mentioned. Who are they?”
Dan evaded the question as if he didn’t want to answer. Annoyed, Jet turned and was about to cuss at him. However, after seeing the man’s daughter, he looked away before facing forward again.
“You’re gonna tell us anyway, my guy! Don’t keep it to yourself, and tell us. I also lived a scummy life like you, but my life improved after meeting this man!”
“…Before that, didn’t you say that nine of my siblings died?”
“Yes. We saw their corpses ourselves. They’re all dead.”
Jin answered, and Dan tilted his head as if something was weird.
“Then that’s not right. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t have the chance, but there are twelve Lunar Sacrifice siblings.”
Kkkkkrrrr~!
Jin pulled on the reins, and the horses stopped running.
“What?”
“There are two more.”
“Where are the other two?”
“I do not know. Unlike me, they moved based on orders.”
From those words, Jin and Jet stared at each other.
Two siblings left.
Two assassins.
As soon as Jet tried to ask, a blue light shone in the dark forest in Jin’s field of vision.
“An ambush!”
Neeiiigh!
The light was shot from the thick woods, and the horses fainted, letting out a pitiful sound.
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𝘪𝘳.𝒸𝑜𝑚